Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a couple of days ago I listened with interest as Mr. Bell questioned the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment about whether the Working Together Program would continue in the next fiscal year.
This program has been a tremendous success, creating hundreds of jobs for young people over the years. Not just creating jobs for students, but also for those who are making the difficult transition from school to employment.
Mr. Speaker, as we have heard over and over, youth have a much higher rate of unemployment than others in the North. Working Together has helped by making it easier for employers to hire inexperienced people, allowing young people to escape the vicious circle that results from not having enough experience to get a job, and no way to get a job without having some experience.
Minister Ootes advised the House that funding for this important and effective program will end on March 31, 2000, scant weeks before students arrive home, hoping to make some money to help them return to school next fall, or recent graduates looking for their first job.
Mr. Speaker, I hope the Minister will remember how important he thought this program was when it was discussed in this House last year. Looking at Hansard for May 10th, 1999, Mr. Ootes, as the Member for Yellowknife Centre, said, and I quote:
"We have been talking about ensuring employment for students for a number of years now. It seems strange to me that we have a special program called Working Together, and only if the budget is passed, do we have that summer student employment program."
He went on to say, and I quote:
"It seems to me that this kind of program should have been planned out well ahead of time. We were well aware that we were going to have an interim budget and I would have thought it would have been in that interim budget."
Mr. Speaker, on reviewing Hansard for February 22, 2000 Mr. Ootes told us that this program will only continue if it is included in the budget. We know, from Mr. Handley's statement, that the budget will not be introduced in the House until June.
Mr. Speaker, that is far too late to help summer students this year. A program this important must be supported. I hope Mr. Ootes will remember the position he took on this program when he was on this side of the House. We must quickly assure young people and employers that the Working Together Program will continue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause